A WEEKEND IN PHILADELPHIA
by LANIKI
Summary: House spends a weekend alone in Philadelphia. But will he remain alone? There might be a group of tourists that plague him and a woman that intrigues him. House/OC only! Written for the Friday Night OC Challenge. Rating will change to M later.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

**This story was written for the Friday Night OC Challenge. The prompt was "House goes to Philadelphia". A group of writers of House/OC fan fiction writers got together in Philadelphia in June so that we could celebrate Hugh/House's birthday together. We also took a trip to Princeton as well. You may find us in this story. **

**This first chapter is very short, as it's just the prologue to set up the story.**

**A WEEKEND IN PHILADELPHIA - Prologue**

"What do you mean, you're not coming?"

"House, my patient is dying. I have to be here."

"Your patients are usually dying. That's no excuse."

"She's a sixteen year old girl who's been battling leukemia most of her life. Her family wants me there." Wilson tried to explain to his friend.

"This is bullshit! This trip was your idea. You were paying for everything for my birthday."

"I know, I know. I'll still pay for your hotel room. And if she, if it's …over by Saturday, I'll meet you there for the Monster Truck Jam."

"So I'm supposed to spend three days by myself in Philly."

"You could use this as an opportunity. See the sights, talk to people."

"Be a tourist?"

"Why not?"

"Does that really sound like me?"

"Okay, then pick up a hooker and spend the weekend in the hotel."

House grumbled some more, but he knew there was no dissuading Wilson when he was in comforting patient mode. This trip was intended as Wilson's present for House's birthday. House's fiftieth birthday had been spent in Mayfield and when he'd come out three months later, no one was really in a celebratory mood.

But Wilson was proud of his friend for staying off the Vicodin for a year and thought they should do something special to celebrate. By luck, there was a big Monster Truck Jam in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles) on June 12, the day after House's birthday.

It was also coincidentally, Beer Week in Philly. So even though it was only about an hour's drive from Princeton, Wilson made hotel reservations for them, so that they could enjoy the long weekend.

But now, Wilson's patient meant that House would have to go alone. He almost decided to bag it and stay home. Still, they had those tickets and he really did want to see the trucks. And a lot of his journey this year had been about reaching out and trying new things. He called Nolan, who encouraged him to go, even if it was alone.

What the hell? House thought.

**There will be a lot more, so sorry for the short chapter. Stay tuned...**


	2. Chapter 2 Thursday

**THURSDAY, JUNE 10:**

House checked in at the beautiful and stately Courtyard Marriott. His room was nice, but he decided he needed to get out and see what was happening.

He could walk short distances, so he had left his car with the hotel valet and would take a taxi if it were more than a few blocks.

He left the hotel and headed down Juniper Street, then turned onto a small street when he saw the sign for an Irish pub. He went inside, enjoying the cool darkness as he sat at the bar and ordered a beer.

A few seconds later, a group of women came in and, after pushing a few tables together, sat down and began talking excitedly to each other. They ranged in age from around thirty to fifty.

They seemed to be friends who hadn't seen each other in a while. House couldn't help but hear bits and pieces of their conversation. There was catching up on jobs and family, but then it moved to one topic and stayed there. They kept talking about "him" and how he didn't belong with "her" and "what were the writers thinking?" Eventually it dawned on him that they were discussing a TV show. He shook his head. Some people.

After a few beers and too much laughter from the women, he left the bar and headed towards Chestnut Street. He walked slowly up the street for a block or two. When a taxi came past, he signaled it and got in. The taxi took him to Penn's Landing where he walked slowly towards the water. He sat on the ledge for a while just looking across the Delaware River to the state that was his home, wondering what the hell he was going to do with himself for the next three days in Philadelphia.

He took his gaze from the river and started looking at the people walking by. There was quite a variety, from families who were obvious tourists by their looks of wonder and excitement to residents with their bored expressions as they jogged along the water's edge.

Most of them were totally uninteresting to him. Except for one woman. She was of moderate height, with a nice but not amazing figure in her shorts and t-shirt. Her dark brown hair was neatly styled in a short cut.

She didn't seem to be a resident. She was pointing things out to two teenaged boys that accompanied her and there was nothing spectacular about her. Until she laughed at something the boys said and her face lit up.

No, that was an understatement. Her face, her whole body came alive when she laughed.

House couldn't take his eyes off her.

Karen really enjoyed being with her son and his friend. They were good kids and so funny. It wasn't hard to laugh with them.

What she didn't like was the man staring at her from his seat near the river. He creeped her out a bit, even though he was sort of sexy with his short beard. She couldn't make out his eyes, but they seemed light in color. Still, she wasn't used to men staring at her.

In the small town where she lived, everyone knew her and wouldn't think of flirting with her. Not that she was flattering herself that the stranger was actually flirting with her, but his eyes followed her as she walked.

Once the woman and kids were out of sight, House tried to decide what to do next. His stomach made the decision for him and he walked slowly to the Chart House restaurant.

The hostess sat him at a small table next to a window that looked out on the river. After ordering a scotch and a steak, he sat back and thought about the next few days and what he should do.

It would be more fun with Wilson as companion, but he wasn't averse to being alone. Wilson would drag him to places where he'd have to be social. Now he could do what he wanted. And there were a few things he wanted to do in Philadelphia.

As he sat there enjoying his steak, he heard the wait staff moving tables together and moments later, the hostess seated ten women at the extended table.

Oh, God, he thought, it was the women from the bar.

They seemed to be continuing the conversation they'd started in the bar. While they weren't loud or obnoxious, they bothered him for some reason.

Maybe it was the amount of friends they had and how much they seemed to enjoy each other while he was alone.

He finished his dinner and got a taxi back to the hotel. It was only ten and he wasn't ready to go to bed. He was about to ask the concierge for a bar within walking distance, when he saw the woman and teenagers form Penn's Landing heading to the elevators.

She was staying at his hotel. Interesting.

He walked around the corner, had a few drinks and returned to the hotel.

**A/N: The ten women that House saw were myself and my friends visiting the city. We'll pop up every now and then. Most of us are writers here on Fan Fiction and/or on other boards. I'll just let you guess what that conversation was concerning!**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed or put this story on alert. I appreciate it and I love you guys!**


	3. Chapter 3 Friday

**FRIDAY, JUNE 11**

It was almost ten when he woke up. He called Wilson.

"Your patient croak yet?"

"House. No, my patient is still alive." Wilson told him.

"Too bad."

"House."

"Well, he's dying anyway, so all this is doing is keeping you from being here."

"First of all, he's a she and it doesn't matter if there's no hope, I still need to be here and…"

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah." House hung up.

He had the whole day to himself and wasn't sure what to do with it. He got dressed and wandered down to the lobby. They were finished serving the breakfast buffet, but he was able to get coffee and a bagel.

As he ate, he thought about what he'd like to do. Then he remembered a place he'd been curious about. He finished eating and got a taxi in front of the hotel. It took him to 7th and Spring Garden Street, to an old house that was once the home of Edgar Allan Poe.

He had always enjoyed Poe's work. The clever, macabre tales were right up his alley.

He walked around the outside of the building, taking in the modest small house. When he went inside, to his dismay, the group of women from the previous evening were there. They weren't laughing or being at all annoying, just talking quietly to the ranger who was planning to guide them through the house.

House was turning to leave when the door opened again. The interesting woman he'd seen the night before entered. This time she was without the teenaged boys.

She glanced at him briefly, then turned away. The ranger asked her if she'd like to join the tour and she nodded.

Hmmm, House thought, maybe this tour wouldn't be so bad.

Karen saw the man looking at her. He was the same one from Penn's Landing the night before. She was much closer to him now. Besides the sexy beard, she discovered he had gorgeous blue eyes. He really was very attractive. Just for thinking that, she knew she should leave.

But, hell, she was on vacation! What was wrong with a little harmless flirting with a sexy man?

She joined the tour, staying of one side of the group of women while he was on the other side.

The tour was more interesting than they thought it would be. The ranger interspersed information from Poe's books with the facts of his life.

It was as the tour ended and the visitors were wandering around outside that he spoke to the woman.

"Pretty good tour, huh?"

"Yes, very interesting."

"You read Poe?"

"I have."

House nodded. "So where are your tag-a-longs?"

"My what?"

"The kids you had with you last night."

She hesitated, wondering if she should talk to him. He was a stranger after all. But it was broad daylight and they weren't exactly all alone, as the women were still wandering around, taking pictures and chatting.

"They're at Wizard World. My son was crazy to go, so we gave him the tickets as a birthday present. But that also meant I had to take him and bring a friend as well."

"So you get stuck hanging around Philly on your own."

She shrugged. "It's okay. I like this city and I haven't been here in a few years."

"Where are you from?"

She looked at him, then looked away. "You know, I don't really think I should be telling you that. If you'll excuse me, I have to go."

He didn't want her to leave, but he knew she was reluctant to talk to a stranger.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to make conversation. My friend and I were supposed to spend the weekend here and he had to work, so I'm alone. And it's my birthday."

She gave him a skeptical look. "Right, it's your birthday."

He pulled out his wallet and gave her his driver's license. "Check the date."

She stared at him and then glanced at the card. It said, Gregory House – birthdate: June 11, 1959.

"It is your birthday!" she said.

"Told you."

"And you're spending it alone?"

"My friend had to work."

"But couldn't another friend have come along?"

House just snorted.

Karen suddenly felt sorry for the man. He might be a stranger, but apparently he had only one friend. And no one should have to be alone on his birthday.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to be alone today." She told him.

"You're right. So have lunch with me."

She hesitated again. He was still a stranger. A stranger who had shown her his driver's license. Still, that could be fake. But then again, she was an adult. She could handle herself if she was careful.

"Alright, I'll have lunch with you."

He flagged a taxi and as they got in, he told the driver where he wanted to go. As the cab sped down Eighth Street, heading south, she asked him where they were going.

"To the one place you should always go for lunch when you're in Philly."

They pulled up to an establishment that was a small triangular building with two windows for taking orders. The large red letters on the white building proclaimed "Pat's, King of Steaks."

"Oh, Pat's." she said.

"Ever been here?" he asked.

"A long time ago."

They went to the first window where you ordered your steak. He let her go first. After she ordered, she slipped her money to the man at the window.

"No," House said, "It's on me."

"No, it isn't. I said I would have lunch with you, not that I would let you buy me lunch." She took her sandwich and moved to the next window to get her drink.

He sighed. This wasn't going exactly as he'd hoped. Still, she was here.

He got his food and moved with her around the building to where some red picnic tables were set up. They sat and ate their steak sandwiches, chatting pleasantly. She told him her name was Karen, he told her his.

He found out that she was married and had two kids. Besides the son that was with her, there was a younger girl.

While they were eating, they heard the voices of more cheese steak customers seeking the tables. House looked up when he saw the women that had been plaguing him.

"Oh, God." He groaned, "Them again."

A smiled. "They're very nice. They're staying at my hotel and I was speaking to them at breakfast. Do you know that they met on line and have come from all over the country and even overseas to get together with each other?"

"Don't you think that's a little weird?"

"No, I think that's nice. People making a connection like that is really wonderful."

He looked at her and wondered. Dr. Nolan had been encouraging him to reach out and connect with people. But strangers that you meet on the computer? Still, was it much different from meeting a stranger in a bar? What did you know about that person?

He shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat. As long as they don't bother me."

She smiled at him.

They had finished their sandwiches and were sitting there, not sure what to do next.

"So how about having a drink?" he asked her.

"I don't think so."

"What, you can have a cheese steak with me, but not a drink?"

"I bought my own cheese steak, if you recall."

"Semantics. We're both having cheese steaks. And I offered to buy it for you."

"I can buy my own."

He looked at her slyly. "Is it really as much fun when you buy your own?"

"Not always. But it's what I have to do. I can make cheese steaks at home as well."

"How often do you make cheese steaks at home?"

She looked down at the table. "Not as often as I'd like."

"Why not?'

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Is he on a different diet?"

"I don't know."

"But you suspect."

"Maybe he just doesn't like cheese steaks anymore."

"Then he's a moron. Cheese steaks are terrific."

Her eyes met his. "Maybe they aren't."

"Trust me, I know cheese steaks. And they're terrific."

"Thanks.

"So, a drink?"

"A drink. But no more cheese steak."

"I didn't offer cheese steak."

She shook her head. "No, I mean I'm full. I can't eat any more cheese steak."

"See, that's why you need a cheese steak from me. You'd definitely want more."

She started laughing. "Enough with the cheese steak metaphors!"

He laughed as well and together they walked across the street to the South Philly Bar and Grill. After a few beers, they caught another taxi back to Center City. When he got out of the cab and followed her into the hotel, she stopped him.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to my hotel room." He answered.

"You're staying here?"

"Yep."

She was open-mouthed in amazement. He preceded her to the elevator and, after swiping his room key, pushed five.

"You're on the fifth floor?"

"Room 504."

She shook her head, amazed. When the elevator doors opened, she turned towards her room. He watched her go, a smile on his face.

"Will I see you later?" he called after her.

She didn't turn her head. "Probably not."

Back in her room, Karen wondered about the man. Greg House. An interesting man, although she knew she shouldn't be finding a man who was not her husband interesting. She shouldn't be spending any time with him or even talking to him.

Still, it had been a long time since she and Frank had connected. And not just sexually. They barely talked anymore, unless it was about the kids or the house. They never went out. They never even watched television together.

What sort of marriage was that?

It didn't matter. It was her marriage and she had to accept it.

Didn't she?

House wanted to spend more time with Karen, but knew that if he pushed it, he wouldn't get anywhere. But he happened to be in the hotel lobby that night, when the teenagers came in and she met them. She glanced briefly at House, before ushering them out to dinner.

He smiled to himself. Oh yeah, she was thinking about him too.

It was a Friday night and it was his birthday. He went out and found a nice bar. He ordered some food. He wasn't full from the cheese steak.

As he ate, he looked around the bar. There was some music playing that wasn't too bad. And there were some women sitting at the bar. A few of them sent some glances his way. He smiled at them, but didn't push it.

Somehow, they didn't really interest him. He kept thinking of Karen with her soft brown eyes. He wondered if he had a chance there.

His thoughts went to Lydia. Another married woman he'd been involved with. Did he really want to go through that again?

But as he considered, he realized that he didn't regret his time with Lydia. He had grown from it and learned a lot. He decided to see where this encounter would take him.


	4. Chapter 4 Saturday

**SATURDAY, JUNE 13**

The next morning, House dragged himself out of bed early so that he could make it downstairs in time for the breakfast buffet. When he got there, he saw Karen sitting with the teen-aged boys. They were scarfing down mass quantities of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage. Karen was chatting with a few of THOSE women who were sitting at the next table. He sat down and looked in her direction. He knew that she saw him, because her glance touched him briefly before returning to the women.

Eventually, the boys finished (or the buffet ran out of food) and they got up to leave. Karen told them something and they rushed off towards the Convention Center. House waited it out while Karen had another cup of coffee and chatted with more of the women. Finally, they all left except for her. She raised her head and looked straight at him. He smiled.

When she rose from her seat and approached his table, he wondered what was happening.

"Good morning." He said as she sat down opposite him.

She was silent, staring at her hands.

When she spoke, it was in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry for leaving the way I did yesterday. That wasn't a nice way to treat you on your birthday."

"No, it wasn't. But I guess I understand."

"Look, I admit my marriage may not be perfect, but I am married and I believe in honoring that."

"Even if he isn't?"

"Yes."

"Fine. But I'm not expecting anything from you. You're an interesting person. I'm alone and it's fun spending time with you."

She smiled. "You're sort of fun too."

"**SORT** of fun? "Did you say 'sort' of? I'll have you know I'm loads of fun."

She chuckled. "I'll bet you are 'loads' of fun. But I don't know you well enough for loads. I really only know you for sort of."

He smiled. "Well, you can get to know me enough for loads. Spend the day with me."

She hesitated. "I don't know."

"Come on. We could take a ride. See some of the surrounding area."

Karen had spent the previous night considering this man and what the hell she was doing with him. She was MARRIED. She shouldn't be spending time with another man.

But it felt really good to spend time with a man. And since Frank didn't seem to want to spend time with her, what was wrong with spending a little time with someone who did want to be with her?

"Okay, let's do that."

He had the hotel valet retrieve his car and they took off. They drove past the Art Museum and Boathouse Row. They drove the length of Kelly Drive, enjoying the views as they did. They drove through Fairmount Park. By one o'clock, they were tired of driving and hungry. They stopped at a little restaurant and had lunch.

This time House paid and Karen didn't fight him.

Throughout their time together, they talked about lots of things, including themselves.

"So," he said, "You know where I live. Why not tell me where you live?"

"I know where you live?"

"You saw my driver's license."

"Oh, right. But only that it was New Jersey. I didn't look at the address.'

"That's still more than I know about you."

"It's a small town that you've probably never heard of in Lancaster County, about two hours from here."

"And what do you do in this small town?"

"Take care of my family. Help out at my kids' schools. Make cupcakes. Volunteer at the library and the church. Run the Little League snack bar. Things like that."

He had a horrified look on his face. "Oh, God."

"What?"

"You're one of them."

"One of whom?"

"Soccer mom."

She laughed. "I guess so. My kids are my focus, that's for sure."

"That why it doesn't matter what hubby does?"

She hesitated. "It does matter. But there isn't much I can do about that. And the happiness of my kids is the most important thing to me. He's a good father. He loves his kids."

"He just doesn't love you."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

"I really don't want to discuss my marriage with you." She told him firmly. "We should probably be getting back. You need to go to your Truck Rally."

"Yeah." He said. "Hey, come with me. I have the other ticket and Wilson's not coming."

"I can't. I have the boys to take care of."

"They're fourteen, they can take care of themselves."

"Oh, right, two fourteen year old boys on their own on a Saturday night in the city. That will work out fine."

He knew she was right, but he pushed it anyway. "Rent them a porno. They'll be fine."

"Greg! Of course I'm not doing that. Anyway, I promised them we'd go for Chinese food in Chinatown."

"Give them money and let them go by themselves."

She shook her head. "No."

He sighed. "Okay, okay. I guess I see. I don't like it, but I get it."

She smiled. "Thank you."

They drove back to the hotel. It was still early for his show, so he decided to let the valet park his car and he would retrieve when he was ready to go.

As he got out and handed the keys over to the valet, they noticed an older man standing by the door. He had a jacket on and a baseball cap on his head. He seemed to be waiting for a car or taxi.

House took another look at him and then whispered, "Oh, God!"

But before Karen could ask him what was wrong, he walked up to the man and started talking.

"Mr. Stewart, It's great to meet you. I'm a big fan."

The man answered in a cultured British voice. "Thank you very much."

"I've always been a Star Trek fan, but I always thought the Next Generation was the best of all of them."

"Thank you." Patrick Stewart said again with a smile.

House nodded and walked back to Karen in a daze.

"Are you alright?"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "I just met Captain Picard."

"Okay."

"No, I just fucking met Captain Picard!"

She laughed. "You're such a fan boy!"

"What?"

She just laughed some more as they entered the elevator. "That reaction is no different than my son would have."

"It was Captain Picard! Of the Starship Enterprise!"

She looked at his face. It was completely alight with joy. This was a man that dealt with a lot of pain. She could see that by the way he moved with his leg. And there was the emotional pain as well. A man who only had one person to spend his birthday with. And yet, he was as excited as a little boy meeting a TV hero.

He looked at her, and as their eyes met, a current passed between them. It was full of more passion than Karen had known for a long time. She could feel herself being drawn to him.

At the last moment before they touched, the elevator opened at their floor and the mood was broken.

She stepped out first, trying hard to regain her composure. "So did you say you wanted to go for a swim?"

He stared at her for a moment, then said, "A swim. Sure. I'll meet you out here in ten minutes."

She nodded and hurried to her room.

They sat in the hot tub. Karen was happy that the pool area was fairly crowded, including several children. It made it much easier to pretend that the moment in the elevator hadn't happened.

After a half hour, House got out. "I have to get ready for the show. I want to stop and eat first."

She nodded. "Okay. Enjoy it."

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

She was going to be vague, but realized that was silly. "Probably. I'm taking the boys to Independence Hall in the morning."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted them to learn a little bit of history on this trip. So we have a 9:30 reservation. And I'm dragging them across the street to the Liberty Bell too. Then they go to the last day of Wizard World."

"Okay, how about meeting me for brunch afterwards?"

She considered, then nodded. "Okay."

The Monster Trucks were, in House's opinion, awesome! It would have been better if Wilson – or Karen – had been there with him. But still.

**A/N: By the way, I was the one who met Patrick Stewart (along with Gorblimey). Yes, I met Captain Jean-Luc Picard! It was awesome! And I said the exact words that House said. I'm still amazed that I wasn't totally tongue-tied. I guarantee that if it had been HL, I would have been totally speechless! Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5 Sunday, Part 1

**SUNDAY, JUNE 13:**

**Part 1**

House tried to get down to breakfast in time to see Karen, but she had that early reservation for Independence Hall. He had some coffee and a bagel, since he wanted to have brunch with her. He wasn't sure why he suggested brunch. He wasn't a brunch kind of guy. But he knew that women liked it and figured it would impress her. And it had seemed to. She'd agreed to it anyway without the usual hesitation.

He realized he'd better have a good place for them to go. He was supposed to text her to tell her where to meet him. And he didn't have an idea.

When the waitress came over to fill his coffee cup, he asked her, "Where's a good place for brunch?"

"Philadelphia has lots of great brunch restaurants."

"Yeah, but what do you like?"

"Well, my favorite is Kanella's."

"What's that?"

"It's a Cyprian restaurant and it's really wonderful."

"Cyprian, huh? Sounds good. Where is it?"

"Tenth and Spruce."

He nodded and thanked her. He pulled out his phone and texted: Kanella, 10 & Spruce.

Fifteen minutes later, he got a return text: See u there.

He arrived first. He'd planned it that way so that he could be waiting there for her all cool and relaxed when she came in from the humid Philadelphia heat.

But he wasn't cool when he saw her enter. She looked really nice in a bright yellow sundress that hugged her curves and showed some cleavage. She had accented it with black jewelry and had black sandals. There was a fine bead of sweat on her face, but otherwise, she looked cool and put together.

He, on the other hand, was now totally hot and bothered by her appearance. Even though he was trying to be a "friend", he knew that if she gave the word, he would be all over her.

Karen was glad she had gone back to the hotel to freshen up and had taken a taxi so she wouldn't be all sweaty when she got there. Really, she shouldn't be caring how she looked for him. They were just friends. But she still had made sure she looked good.

Because damn, he looked good. He was sitting at the table wearing a dark blue sport shirt. He gave her a small smile when he saw her, the way he did with one side of his mouth lifting up. The kind of look that made a woman melt.

She sat down across from him and the waiter quickly approached, filling her water glass. She ordered a lemonnana (half mint tea, half lemonade) and sipped on her water.

While they were both trying to think of what to say to each other, there was noise at the door and ten women came in.

It was the same women that had plagued him all weekend. They were talking happily to each other as they sat at a large table that had been set up in the middle of the small restaurant and the waiter went around pouring water for them.

They greeted Karen when they saw her and eyed House with interest.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Maybe we should eat somewhere else."

"No, I want to eat here. They won't bother us."

Just then, one of them asked Karen if she would take their picture at the table.

"Of course!" she replied and got up to do so. House rolled his eyes again.

When she came back, she said, "Oh stop being so grumpy. They're very nice."

"They're crazy. They met each other on the computer and then they travel long distances to meet each other. And for what reason? Some stupid TV show. It's crazy."

"It doesn't matter what brings people together. The important thing is to make a connection with others."

He looked down at the table.

"How many people have you made a connection with, Greg?"

"Well, I'm trying to make a connection with you, but you're making it difficult."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He looked at her and she thought she would die when those blue eyes pierced her. "Yes, you are." He said.

They ate their brunch. House ordered the English Breakfast: homemade baked beans, two fried eggs, sausage, slab bacon, grilled tomato and toast. Karen chose the Kanella platter: stuffed grape leaves, white beans, falafel, fried eggplant, spicy tomato salad, tzanziki, olives and pita.

There wasn't a lot of conversation while they ate, just some small talk about the food – which was excellent, by the way.

They finished and House paid the bill, ignoring Karen's request to pay her portion. But she convinced him to allow her to leave a tip. They left the restaurant and strolled down Tenth Street a bit, then turned and headed down to Eleventh.

And that's when they heard the music.

"Oh, it's a parade!" Karen said, excitedly.

"I'm not much of a parade person." House said, but he followed her anyway.

And then they saw them.

There were floats decorated with lots of rainbows and lots of purple. There was a pack of poodles dyed all the colors of the rainbow. There were men dressed in evening gowns and high heels.

"Oh, shit, it's the Gay Pride parade!" House moaned.

"Oh, this is great! I've never seen a Gay Pride parade! This is wonderful." Karen exclaimed.

House stepped back a bit. It was kind of fun to watch, but he really didn't want to be considered a part of it.

But when he saw the rainbow poodles, he had to laugh. "Okay, I wanna smoke whatever that guy's got."

She laughed too. He watched her face, filled with wonder as she watched the parade. She was really amazing when she laughed.

When she turned to tell him something, she saw him staring at her and she wanted to turn back to the parade, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his. He reached out and pulled her close to him. She let him. When his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling. He pulled her closer and put his arms around her, intensifying the kiss. She let herself enjoy it.

House was not a man to indulge in PDA's, but somehow on this Philadelphia street, in the midst of a Gay Pride parade, it seemed perfectly natural to kiss this woman.

She broke the kiss first, as he knew she would.

"I can't do this, Greg."

He just stared at her.

"I really can't."

"Are you trying to convince me or you?"

"I don't know."

He sighed and watched the parade a bit more, before turning back to her. "Okay, here it is. I want you. You probably already guessed that, but I'm putting it out there anyway. I'm getting a taxi back to the hotel. You can come with me or meet me there later. Or not. Your choice. No pressure."

He walked a few feet to Locust Street and found a taxi. She watched him leave and started walking slowly towards Market, trying to decide what to do. She couldn't deny that she wanted him. She also knew that giving in to that desire was the wrong thing to do.

Neither of those things helped her to decide.

**A/N: There's a lot happening on Sunday, so I broke it into three parts. Oh, and the restaurant is real and it's one of my favorites. If you're ever in Philadelphia, give it a try. You won't be disappointed!**


	6. Chapter 6 Sunday, Part 2

**SUNDAY, Part 2**

House was in his hotel room. An hour had passed since he'd left Karen on the street. He figured she probably decided that she couldn't take this much of a risk. He didn't really blame her. Who was he anyway? A stranger that she met in a strange city. He sat back on the bed, turning on the TV. Maybe there was a Phillies game on.

The knock on the door was so faint, he almost didn't hear it. But he did hear it. He had never really thought he could move so fast, but he was at the door in seconds. Then he stopped, took a deep breath and opened it.

She didn't meet his eyes, she just stood there and said, "Is the offer still good?"

He didn't answer her. He just reached out, pulled her into the room and closed the door. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.

Karen had walked back to the hotel, all the time thinking about what Greg had said. Then she stopped thinking and went on instinct.

She wanted him.

It was that simple and that complicated. But she made a decision for once in her life to go for what she wanted.

And was she glad she'd made this decision. When he opened the door, he was barefoot and his shirt was open. If possible, he looked even sexier than ever.

As he kissed her, she melted in his arms and felt the warm, wonderful feeling wash over her when a man holds a woman and kisses her.

His hands started moving down her back to her legs and then pushed up the skirt of her dress so that he was soon caressing her ass through her silky panties. Both hands moved then to continue doing that and she moaned in pleasure. He reached up and pulled down the zipper of the dress and pushed it off her shoulders. Soon she was in her bra and panties.

As he suspected, her underwear was plain white, nothing fancy. Just as a soccer mom like her should wear. But somehow on her, it was extremely erotic. He enjoyed the view of her ample breasts peeking out from the top of her bra, but it wasn't long before he wanted to stop watching and start touching.

He reached behind and unsnapped the bra, then pulled it down her arms and let it drop on the floor. She pushed his shirt back and off as well, then put her arms around his neck, so that they were bare chest to bare chest.

Her nipples felt amazing touching his chest and he bent down to kiss her again. She reached down and unbuttoned his jeans. They moved in unison towards the bed.

She stopped him for a moment before getting on the bed. "Do you have a condom?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then, let's go."

She lay back on the bed and he started kissing down her body, with her moaning all the way. When he got to her prim white panties, he smiled, then pushed them down her legs and threw them on the floor. He continued the kissing and used his tongue on her sweet spot. She was crying out with her moans of pleasure by then.

He moved up her body and pushed his jeans and boxers all the way off. His work on her had excited him and he was erect and ready by this time. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the foil pocket.

It took mere seconds to get prepared and then he was stretching out over her and moving his cock into position at her opening. He kissed her hard again and started to push in, slowly. She cried out once and he slowed down more, realizing that it had probably been some time since she'd had sex.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes." She answered breathlessly. "It just feels so wonderful."

He smiled and pushed in harder. She started moving with him and taking that as his cue, he began to thrust in and out. Their rhythm worked well together and they were able to continue this dance for some time, before he felt her starting to build. He moved faster then and she responded in kind.

Finally, he heard her cry out, "Greg! Oh my God!" as she went over the edge.

He let himself go then as well, and followed her over.

They lay there afterwards, entwined in each other's arms.

He almost hesitated speaking, but he couldn't control himself. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go back to my room and wait for the boys to come back."

"No, I mean with your life."

She looked confused. "I'm not going to do anything. I mean, I'm getting on the train Monday morning and going back to my life. This doesn't change anything."

"You mean you come to the big city, have sex with a stranger, then go home and make cupcakes for the Brownies?"

"Essentially."

"That's bullshit! Do you really think you can go back to a life of no sex and no love?"

"What choice do I have?"

"You have the choice to leave and get out of that."

"No, I don't. I can't disrupt my children's lives. And financially, I can't give up my marriage. For better or worse, I'm stuck there."

"Then you're a fool."

Her eyes registered hurt as she got out of the bed. "You're right about that."

She quickly pulled her dress over her head and picked up her underwear and shoes. Without putting them on or turning back to him, she fled from the room.

He called after her. "Karen!"

He tried to catch her, but getting out of bed was never easy with his leg and she was already down the hall before he managed it.

"Shit!" he mumbled to himself. Why did he always manage to screw things up?


	7. Chapter 7 Sunday, Part 3

SUNDAY Part 3

Karen was eating dinner at Chili's with the boys. They were consuming tortilla chips and fajitas, while she picked at her chicken dish. Since they were going on about everything they'd seen and bought, they really didn't notice her silence.

She thought about the afternoon's activities. She knew that what she'd done was wrong, but it had felt so wonderful. She'd gone so long without sex that she almost forgot how great it could be.

And Greg House was very good at it.

Too bad he wasn't as good at communicating afterwards.

Or was he?

She thought about what he'd said to her. She knew he was right, but making that decision to change her life was hard. She wasn't really happy, but she was comfortable. The kids were happy.

Then she looked at her son and thought about her daughter as well. This was the example of marriage she was giving to them. Two people who lived together, but barely communicated with each other. They hadn't taken a family vacation in years. Frank usually had an excuse of having to "work", although he took the kids on fishing trips just him and them. Karen usually took them to the beach or the lake or somewhere.

Did she want either of her kids to have this type of marriage?

Absolutely NO.

While not a fan, she remembered something Dr. Phil said: "It's better to be from a broken home than to live in one."

When dinner was finished, they returned to the hotel. She found a movie for the boys to watch and instructed them to start packing their things, since they had to be out of there very early in the morning.

Then she left the room and headed down the hall.

He probably wouldn't be there. And if he was, he probably wouldn't want to see her after the way she'd left him.

House was debating whether to go out and get drunk or stay in and get drunk. After Karen left, he sort of vegetated for a while and kicked himself for not keeping his big mouth shut. Then he fell asleep. When he woke up, he took a shower and was now sitting there in jeans and a t-shirt, trying to decide the rest of his miserable lonely night when he heard the knock on his door.

Seeing Karen standing there was a shock. She had changed from her little yellow sundress to jeans and a t-shirt. (Coincidence?)

He wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't have to worry. She did the talking.

"Can I come in?"

He nodded and stepped aside.

"I can't stay long. I left the boys watching a movie and I don't want to think what trouble they can get into to. Anyway, I thought about what you said and I realized that you're right."

Wisely, he refrained from telling her that he was usually right.

"I can't go on living like that." She continued. "It's not a marriage, it's nothing. And it's not a good example for my children. So, when I go home, I'm going to talk to Frank. I don't think it will do any good, but for the sake of my kids, I'll give him a chance to improve our marriage. But I really don't think he's interested.

"And if that's the case, then I will ask him for a divorce."

House smiled at her. "Good for you."

"I don't know. This is scary."

"You deserve better than a husband who ignores you."

She smiled this time. "You're right, I do."

He went to the desk and grabbed the pad of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled something, then handed the paper to her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"My cell phone number."

"Greg, I can't…I mean, my life for the next few months or longer is going to be crazy. I'm going to have to find a job – and I haven't worked in over fifteen years! And in this economy? We owe money on loans and credit cards, so we'll probably have to sell the house to split everything up, Which means I'll have to move and the kids will have to go to new schools. Which means a lot of adjustments for them. And I also need to be very careful. I can't have Frank accusing me of anything."

He nodded. "I know all that. But once in a while, you may be lonely and you may need a … friend. Just keep that number in case you ever do."

She looked at the paper, nodded, folded it and put it in her pocket. Then she reached up and kissed him on the lips.

"Thank you, Greg, for everything." And she was gone.


	8. Chapter 8 Monday

**MONDAY, JUNE 14:**

House had had a sleepless night, so he was up early and decided he might as well check out and get on the road back to Princeton.

He came down to the lobby and saw Karen and the boys by the door. They were just about to leave.

He watched her and she turned around and gave him a slight smile and wave before heading out the door.

He watched her walk down the street, heading to the El that would take them to 30th Street Station and the train home.

He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself then. At that moment, he felt lonely and deserted. He walked slowly to the restaurant to get some breakfast.

And saw the women again.

Actually, not all of them. Apparently, some had already gone home. There were five of them left. Still they looked up when he came in and smiled at him. He tried to ignore them and go to the other side of the restaurant, but they called to him.

"Hello! You're Doctor House, right? Karen's friend? Come and sit with us!"

It suddenly occurred to him that these women had talked with Karen – a lot. Maybe they could give him some information about her.

He sat down at their table and the waitress poured him a cup of coffee.

His gaze went around the table and he saw that even though they were all very different in looks, they were all very attractive.

They started talking to him and to each other and to his surprise, he found out that they were all professional women with good jobs, families and friends. Somehow he had gotten it into his head that they were losers with no life. He was amazed at how wrong that assumption was.

Eventually, the conversation did get to Karen, which was what he wanted.

"So Karen told us that you're a doctor in Princeton." The petite woman with short, reddish hair said.

He nodded.

"She's a really wonderful person, isn't she?" the blonde with a pretty face asked.

"Yeah, she is." He answered.

"It seemed like you two really hit it off." Said a slim woman with long dark hair.

"Yeah, well, until she went back to her husband."

"Oh, what difference does that make?" The woman with olive skin and short dark hair said.

He looked at the woman who said that.

"I mean, when you make a connection with someone, you make a connection. It doesn't have to be forever or even for tomorrow."

"Right." The tall woman with the Australian accent added. "Look at us. We met on line and took the chance to get together. It could have been horrible, but it wasn't. And who knows, time or circumstances might mean that we never get together again. That doesn't lessen what we have now."

"And you don't know what tomorrow might bring. It might be with Karen, it might be with someone else. But you have to be open to all possibilities. Just like we are."

The slim woman with dark hair looked at her watch and said, "Oh, we have to leave! We don't want to miss our bus."

"We're going to New York! Isn't that exciting?" the blonde with the pretty face said.

House smiled and shook his head as he watched them get up, gather their belongings and leave. They all turned and gave him a wave before they were gone.

He thought again about Karen returning to her husband, just like Lydia had.

But no, not just like Lydia. She wasn't really returning to her husband. She was going back to get a divorce from her husband. She might not be a part of his life, but she wasn't really leaving him.

For the first time in a long time, he had hope.

And wasn't that a nice feeling?

_**A/N: That's the end of this story. I had only intended it to be a short story, as it was for the Friday Challenge. But the next prompt gave me an idea, so I will be continuing this. Expect to see the next story in about a week or so. It's called Holiday in a Small Town.**_

_**Oh, as an FYI, those five women having breakfast with House were me and four other House/OC writers that you may have read here on Fan Fiction. We did go to New York after the Philly trip. If you're curious, send me a private message and I'll tell you who they are.**_

_**Thanks everyone for reading this and stay tuned for more with House and Karen!**_


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